Welcome To Wonderland
by Namna-dono
Summary: Modern AU Boy!Alice. Suddenly, he heard the sound of running feet. He turned around to see a pale-faced girl travelling quickly towards him, gun poised to shoot. He then did the only reasonable thing his mind could come up with: run. And so began their game of cat and mouse.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome To Wonderland**

Chapter One

Alec panted heavily as he ran quickly through the back streets and alleyways of the city, looking back over his shoulder every few meters. The places he was running through were dirty and coated in grime. He was already drenched in sweat as he had been running as fast as he could for what seemed like an age. He was being chased by someone, he didn't know who she was or why she was chasing him but he damn well didn't want to find out. Every time he was within range, she shot at him. It was only pure luck that he was still alive.

Every time he glanced behind him, he caught sight of her determined expression and the shotgun she had in her hand. At one point the bullets had ran out and he was so glad for that fact. He thought she'd stop chasing him for a few seconds to reload or stop altogether. Instead, she just tossed the gun aside, reached into her pocket and brought out another one. Alec really hoped that she didn't have any more guns because if she did, he was definitely going to be dead before the sun rose.

He climbed on top of a bin that was leaning against the wall of a building and extended his arms as far as they could go. He could just about reach the drainage pipe if he jumped. He bent his legs and sprang into the air. The bin fell over with a loud crash, rubbish spilling onto the filthy ground. He grabbed onto the pipe and hauled himself up onto the roof. As soon as he had scrambled to his feet, he was off again. He dashed all the way to the end of the roof before skidding to a stop. The gap between the roof he was on and the next one was large and he wasn't sure that he could jump across safely.

He heard the bin being turned upright again and gulped; she was closer than he thought. Taking a few large steps back, he closed his eyes and ran forward. He pushed off of his foot as hard as he could, hoping to reach the other roof without harm. He nearly cried with relief when he felt tiles underneath his feet. He slipped a bit before quickly regaining his balance and continuing to sprint. He heard a loud gunshot and felt unbearable pain in his shoulder; she had finally got him. He stumbled and grabbed at where the bullet had entered him. He kept his hand pressed on the wound, remembering what a television show he had watched had said. He heard another gunshot that reminded him that the girl chasing him wasn't going to stop just because she had achieved her goal of shooting him.

He blundered on and tried to ignore the pain that was shooting through his shoulder. His hand became warm and sticky with his blood. He could smell it in the air. It was salty and metallic, like iron. He tried to concentrate on happier things but it was ever so slightly difficult to think of puppies and rainbows when there was a crazy female chasing him who had a gun. Speaking of the crazy female, she was shooting at him again. Alec just wanted her to stay the hell away from him so he could get back to his normal life. Or at least to a hospital.

Oh how Alec wished that he was snug in his bed with nothing to worry about save the homework he had chanced his way through and if the girl he fancied even noticed him. He wished that he wasn't injured, that he wasn't being chased and that he had never even seen the girl that shot him. A few hours ago, life was fine. He lived with his parents and he had an older brother whom he absolutely adored, though he would never admit it. He wasn't rich but he wasn't poor either, he was comfortable. Then she started chasing him and his world was turned upside-down.

He didn't even doing anything to offend her; he was just walking home from his friend's house after a gaming marathon. Then suddenly, he heard the sound of running feet. He turned around to see a pale-faced girl travelling quickly towards him, gun poised to shoot. He then did the only reasonable thing his mind could come up with: run.

And so began their game of cat and mouse.

Alec, realising that he had slowed his run while being preoccupied with his thoughts of self-pity, berated himself. He increased his speed and leap across to another rooftop. Deciding that the girl had a better view of him on while he was on roofs, he jumped down onto a metal recycling bin and continued his flight on the ground. His lungs were burning, his legs were aching and the pain in his shoulder was so intense that he thought he was going to faint.

He ducked into a doorway and tried to catch his breath. A great feeling of nausea washed over him and he bent double and heaved. When he had finished throwing up, he stood still and listened. It sounded like he had finally lost the girl. He sighed in relief and leaned heavily against the door beside him. He dared not look at his gunshot wound for fear of damaging it more or causing infection. He would probably bleed out before morning came but he really didnt mind, all he wanted to do was rest his aching body. He carefully sat himself down, knees close to his chest and stared up at the stars that decorated the night sky. He was slightly envious of them; just twinkling and watching tales unfold on Earth with nothing to worry about.

He felt sleep beckoning him, calling him, lulling him with promises of peace of mind and feeling better in the morning. He succumbed to her, falling into an uneasy sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, he was no longer in the doorway. Instead, he was in a comfy bed situated in a large, white room. His wound was bandaged, there was an IV drip in his arm and his dirty tracksuit bottoms and top had been replaced with pyjamas. They were light blue and felt like they were made from cotton. He was very grateful to be out of his filthy, bloody clothes. He made a move to sit up but found that the action was impossible as the pain in his shoulder wouldn't allow it. He decided to look around the room as best as he could when lying down.

There were numerous other beds in the room, none of which were occupied. It was very clean and sterile and there was a nurse's office in the bottom right hand corner. Alec, though grateful for the bed and treatment of his shoulder, was baffled as to how he got there. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in a doorway. Had someone brought him to the hospital? At that moment a very tired looking woman walked out of the nurses office to where Alec was lying.

"Name," she said looking at the clipboard in her hand, pen poised to write.

Alec was surprised at her clipped tone "E-excuse me?" he said.

She rolled her eyes. "What's your name? I haven't got all day you know."

"Alec." he answered "Alec Liddell."

She jotted his name down. "Now your suit."

Alec was confused. He was wearing pyjamas, not a suit. Was she crazy? The woman looked at his face and sighed.

"You are a card aren't you?" she asked. Alec still looked confused. "Unless . . . " she trailed off. Suddenly her eyes widened in shock and her hand flew to her mouth. She dropped her clipboard and ran out of the room calling "Hatta! Marchair! One of you, come quick!"

Alec took the opportunity to try to figure out where he was exactly. It wasn't a hospital as the floor was carpeted in a cream colour and the room was much too clean. Not that hospitals weren't clean of course but all the hustle and bustle of patients, visitors and staff alike made it rather hard to clean very thoroughly. Alec loathed going to hospitals to the point of nosocomephobia. Whenever he entered one, he could practically feel the germs crawling all over him. When he was younger he was horrified that the patients were up and walking around, spreading their diseases far and wide.

Completely sure that the room he was in wasn't a ward in a hospital; Alec began to consider the other options as to where he was. He found that really, there weren't any. Most other options were absurd or downright stupid. He decided that instead of wracking his brains for where he was, he would ask the woman whom he had seen previously.

He waited patiently for her return. After about ten minutes of waiting, Alec began to feel very sleepy. He felt himself slowly nodding off just as the woman and three other people entered the room. They were speaking in hushed whispers but Alec paid them no mind as he had already fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome To Wonderland**

Chapter Two

When Alec woke up, he wasn't in the pure white room he was in previously. It was a completely new and different room. He sat up and let his eyes sweep the place, noting the pale green walls and cream carpet. It was a rather bright room, save a dark black spot in the corner. When Alec looked closer, he realised that the black spot was a man sitting on a stool in the corner. Alec wasn't worried that there was a stranger in the room he had slept in, the thing he was worried about was the fact that the man had a gun. A gun that was pointed directly at his heart.

"Err… hello," said Alec, a fake smile plastered on his face to hide his fear. The man gave no response. "Would you mind telling me where I am?" Still no response. Alec thought that the man was either mute or very rude. Didn't he know to answer when asked a question?

Alec took the opportunity to survey the man. He was of average height and build with long, black hair down to his shoulders. He was wearing a black trench coat and leather boots. He had a rather foreboding presence and Alec wasn't looking forward to spending any length of time with him. Though the effect was slightly ruined by the dainty teacup he held in his left hand.

At that moment another man entered the room, a scowl decorating his face. He marched up to the man in the corner and gave him a hearty thump on the head. Alec was surprised. What had the man done wrong?

"Hatta!" the no longer scowling man whined. "You're meant to ask him things, not stare at him!"

The man in black muttered something, pushed past the other man and exited the room. Alec raised his eyebrows, he was surprised that the man didn't hit back when he received the blow to the head. The man still left in the room with him turned around and looked at him, sobering immediately. Alec felt his eyes look up and down his body, analysing him. He plopped down onto Alec's bed and let out a loud sigh. Alec stared at him, before deciding that this man would probably answer his question.

"So…" Alec started. The man looked at him. "Where am I exactly?"

The man's expression was incredulous. "You mean you don't know where we are?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Alec nodded. The man narrowed his eyes and whipped out a gun, pressing it to Alec's temple. "If you are lying to me," he began. Alec's eyes widened and his pulse quickened.

"I'm not," he swore, trying to convey his innocence through his bright blue eyes. "I just woke up here. I have no idea if we're still in the city or what street we're on. Please don't shoot me, I've been shot at enough to last me a lifetime."

The man, seeming content with his answer, withdrew the gun and shoved it back in his trousers. "Speaking of shooting, how's your wound?" he asked conversationally.

For a brief moment, Alec wondered if the man was mad. First, he nearly shot Alec and next he was asking how he was! "It's, uh, fine I guess. I can't say I've had worse." he replied.

The man hummed slightly in agreement, of what Alec didn't know, and reached out to grab Alec's arm. He stood up and guided Alec to sit at the very edge of the bed, Alec was able to feel the warm carpet underfoot.

"Take off your shirt," the man commanded.

Alec blushed. "S-sorry?" he stammered.

"Take off your shirt," the man repeated, tugging at the bottom of Alec's pyjama top for emphasis. "I need to check your shoulder. Do you want me to do it for you?"

Alec blushed even deeper and slowly and painfully stripped himself of the item of clothing covering his torso. It wasn't that he was ashamed of his body, it was just that it was embarrassing to strip even partially in front of a stranger.

"You can call me Marchair," the man said, moving to sit behind him to better access his wound. "Everyone does."

"Alright Marchair," Alec smiled even though the man couldn't see him. "You can call me Alec."

"Oh I know that," Marchair replied, removing the bandages on Alec's shoulder gently. "Alec Liddell, blood type: O positive, height: 5"7, BMI 19.7."

Alec was astonished. Had they run some test on him while he was sleeping? He shivered at the thought.  
Marchair, noticing the shiver, tried to lighten the situation. "Well the bullet didn't perforate any of your bones so it's only a matter of time before your flesh heals itself and you'll be feeling as right as rain."

Alec was glad. He knew that if the bullet had met bone, it could have broken it or caused it to splinter which would not have been a very happy experience. He was still slightly unnerved about the whole doing tests while he was sleeping thing. Did he have a file? He really hoped he didn't. Files weren't usually good news.

He felt Marchair's weight leave the bed as he walked over to a chest of drawers on the other side of the room. The brown haired man pulled out a tub and a fresh roll of bandages. He walked back over to the bed and started to apply some cream from the tub around where the gun had entered Alec before rewrapping his shoulder in bandages.

"Feel better?" Marchair asked with a friendly smile.

Alec nodded. "Much." he replied. And he did. He felt slightly cleaner now that his blood stained bandages were gone. "Marchair? You never answered my question. Where are we?"

"In Wonderland of course," came the reply. Alec's mouth fell open and he stared at Marchair. He really hoped that the man was pulling his leg.

"Wonderland? As in the Wonderland?" Alec asked, not believing what had just been said to him.

"If 'the Wonderland' is one of the biggest gangs in the city, then yes, you are in 'the Wonderland." Marchair looked at him with an amused smile and looked as if he was about to start laughing at Alec. Alec quickly regained his composure. Or at least tried to. It was very difficult to remain calm when he had just learned that he was inside the secret headquarters of a massive and deadly mob.

"You mean that the doorstep I slept on was the entrance to this place? The building looked pretty small when I saw it, are only part of Wonderland here?" asked Alec curiously.

"Well done Alec," Marchair praised. "This is only the spades hideout."

"Spade? What do you mean spades?" Alec inquired.

Marchair opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed it at the sight of Hatta standing in the doorway, carrying a child. Marchair got off of the bed and walked over to Hatta. He took the brown-haired child from him and left the room head hung low.

"He shouldn't have told you any of that," Hatta said gruffly.

Alec shrank in his seat and said nothing. If there was ever a moment to stay silent, he knew that now was it. He tried to look as innocent and docile as he could so Hatta wouldn't see him as a threat. He was grateful to Marchair for telling him things when he knew that he shouldn't have. He really wished that he hadn't been told as he liked Marchair and didn't want him to suffer.

"You are to stay by Marchair," Hatta said "No wondering off. You're meeting Him tomorrow." He stood aside and motioned to Alec to leave the room. Alec got up and hurried out of the room as fast as he could, grabbing his pyjama top on his way out.

Marchair and the child were waiting for him outside. He lead him down long corridors with many twist and turns. There was the occasional sign on the wall but they only said unhelpful things like 'This way',' That way' and even one saying 'Oysters'.

"Whatever do the signs mean?" Alec stopped and asked, baffled.

"Well obviously," Marchair started "One sign is if you want to go this way, the other is to go that way. As for the other one, you would follow it were you an oyster. But you are not an oyster. So don't follow it." He kept on walking.

Alec was surprised at the logical answer. Why hadn't he thought of that? He hurried quickly towards Marchair who had walked a fair distance away while he was thinking.

"Who's that?" Alec asked, nodding toward the child in Marchair's arms.

"My, my," Marchair exclaimed, smiling at him "You do ask many questions. This is Dorman, my son."

Alec took a closer look at Dorman and realised that he rather did look like his father. He mad brown mousy hair like his father but his drowsy eyes were a deep blue that he must have gotten from his mother.

"You're married?" Alec wondered.

"Not anymore," came the curt reply, letting Alec know that that was all he got to hear about Marchair's marital status. They walked side by side in silence and Alec couldn't help but feel that he had made Marchair dislike him. He decided that he would ask no more questions unless he really, really had to.


	3. In which, nothing really happens

**Welcome To Wonderland**

Chapter Three

Alec was sitting on a rather large, black leather sofa. It was situated in Marchair, Dorman and Hatta's apartment on the first floor of the spades hideout.

He hadn't said a word since asking Marchair about Dorman's mother. He had so many unvoiced questions that it was killing hHe had always been an inquisitive person, asking questions and sticking his nose in other people's business. He couldn't help it. He was born like it.

As he looked around the apartment, he realise how odd it really was. For an apartment that housed a child there weren't many toys in it.

While he was looking around, he also noticed the amount of furniture in there was. Or rather, the lack of. He was sitting in the kitchen/dining/sitting room and he could see a couple of doors leading off to Dorman, Marchair and Hatta's rooms. All he could see from his spot on the couch was a dining table, three chairs and the kitchen units.

"Having a nose are you?" Marchair's voice said from in front of him. Alec gave a start and had the decency to look embarrassed. He was quite used to people getting annoyed at him for poking around in their houses.

Marchair chuckled and handed him a cup of tea in a china cup. "I don't mind as long as you stay out of my room."

That was the wrong thing to say. Alec wasn't curious about Marchair's room before but as soon as he knew he shouldn't enter, he got the strongest urge to take a peek. He restrained himself from doing so to the best of his abilities.

He tried to distract himself by changing the subject. "Where's Dorman?" he asked.

Marchair took a sip of his tea before answering. "In bed. Hatta woke him early today and his nap is a little overdue."

"Speaking of Hatta, I'm sorry if I got you into trouble earlier."

"It's alright Alec, sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same clearance as I do. Hatta just hates when I break the rules."

"Does that mean you can't tell me anything?" Alec asked exasperatedly. He knew that if his questions weren't answered soon, he would burst.

Marchair, sensing Alec's despair, gave a sympathetic smile. "I could lie to you if you really want answers. They just won't be the correct ones."

"Half truths?" Alec asked hopefully.

Marchair looked amused. "Aren't you a cheeky thing? Alright then, half truths, ask away."

"Em," Alec hesitated, trying to think of a question. "Who is "Him"? Hatta mentioned meeting "Him" tomorrow."

Marchair bit his bottom lip, choosing his words carefully. "Someone of great influence." he answered.

Alec wasn't satisfied with the answer but kept quiet. He had agreed to accept half-truths. They were better than nothing. "What are the spades exactly?"

"A part of Wonderland. Ask something interesting this time, okay?"

Alec thought for a moment and cast his mind back to the previous night. "Who was that girl?"

Marchair looked at him. "What girl?"

"The one that shot me."

"Describe her," he commanded.

Alec struggled to remember, the night was a blur. "She was pale and had blond-ish hair. It was kind of white though. It was down to, like, here." He raised his hand to just above his shoulder.

Marchair's face paled. He suddenly got up; put his tea on the kitchen worktop and left, shouting something about Alec not leaving and minding Dorman.

Alec stared at the door that Marchair had just exited through. Really, what was with people and running out the door after speaking to him? First, it was the nurse and now Marchair.

He heard a noise coming from Dorman's room and realised that Marchair shouting must have woken him up. He got up off of the couch and walked over to where Dorman was standing upright in his cot.

Dorman cocked his head to the side. "Daddy?" he said questioningly.

Alec smiled and picked him up, placing him on his hip. "Your dad's gone out. You can play with me until he comes back."

Dorman gave a nod, as if the answer pleased him. He gave a little yawn and stretch before pointing to a box in the corner of his room.

"Trains." he said.

Alec went over to the box and opened it. In it he saw all kind of trains, red ones, blue ones, steam trains, bullet trains and futuristic trains. He set Dorman down and started to unpack the many trains that the box contained.

As soon as he started unpacking, Dorman grabbed the train nearest to him and started making train noises. Alec stopped what he was doing for a second just to watch him enjoy himself. He was never very good with children and he never really liked them (they were too sticky and loud in his opinion) but Marchair's child was growing on him. He picked up a small train and began to play along with Dorman.

After approximately half an hour of playing trains with Dorman, Alec's stomach began to growl. The last thing he'd eaten was pizza at his friend's house last night, and that seemed like years ago.

Alec looked over to Dorman. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

Dorman looked at him with big blue eyes before moving his head a fraction to the right, then a fraction to the left. Alec stood up from his position on the floor.

"Well I am." he said, picking the boy up. "Let's go and see what's in the kitchen."

-

It took three failed attempts for Alec to realise that he needed to put oil into the pan if he was going to make an omelette. He had forgotten, up until that point, why his mother never let him near the kitchen. He burned pasta once. When their mother was out, he and his brother just ordered take away. Usually pizza but sometimes they got Chinese.

He plopped his newly made omelette onto a plate he had found in a cupboard and began to eat. It looked more like scrambled eggs than what it was supposed to be but he didn't care. He was hungry and it wasn't inedible.

After the first attempt at cooking, Dorman had requested to be put down onto the couch. He amused himself by watching Alec trying to cook for a few minutes before falling asleep. The elder boy thought it was an adorable sight. He ventured back into Dorman's room when he had finished eating and got a blanket to place on the sleeping figure.

He was just about to go and have a look in Marchair's room when, all of a sudden, the front door slammed open. The man walked swiftly through the apartment and grabbed Alec by the wrist.

"Come on," Marchair said breathlessly. "Your meeting with Him has been moved up. We're expected in ten minutes."

***Le gasp* A failed cliffhanger!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to Wonderland**

Chapter Four

Alec and Marchair were waiting outside of the "Throne Room", as Marchair had dubbed it. They were in a small, cramped hallway, one of the many in the Wonderland hideout. All was quiet save the rapid pounding of Alec's heart.

To get there, Alec had been blindfolded and shoved into the back seat of a car. Needless to say, it was a very disorientating and unpleasant experience. The driver of the car seemed to care little for the law or safety. When they reached their destination, Alec was pushed through what were probably more corridors, until he was stopped, told to wait and his blindfold was removed.

Alec was frightened. Of course he tried to deny that he was but it was futile. His knees were knocking, adrenaline pumped through his veins and his palms were sweaty. He never realised that a reputation could elicit such a reaction. He had heard very little about the man. All Alec knew was that he controlled all of Wonderland and that he had an army at his command. Alec thought that his fear was quite rational.

He leaned heavily against the wall next to him. Slowly, he slid down the wall and rested his head on his knees. They had been waiting for over twenty minutes. To Alec's impatient self, it seemed like eternity. Waiting for something always made the time go slowly.

A couple of minutes later, the door next to him opened. Marchair helped him get back onto his feet before pushing him through the doorway. Alec stopped and stared in amazement. The room was huge. It had marble pillars either side of a long red carpet and three sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

Alec followed the red carpet with his eyes until they reached a platform (or was it a stage?). He raised his eyes and met a pair of blue ones. The blue eyes belonged to pale, black haired man. On his head he wore a crown on his head. It was "Him", that, Alec was sure of. His limbs were long and lanky and He wore an expression of boredom on His face. His legs dangled from one arm of the throne-like chair He was sitting on. He smiled amusedly; drawing Alec's attention to the two small heart tattoos on His cheek and waved His hand, beckoning them forward.

Alec stopped staring when he felt Marchair nudge him. With shaking legs, he started to walk forward. He noticed the two other men the room, they flanked either side of the dark haired man. Both of them wore tailored suits with red ties and a "J" embroidered on the pocket. There was a red curtain behind them. So it was a stage.

When he reached the beginning of the stage he stopped, unsure of what to do next. He bent his knee, doing something similar to a genuflect. He then stood, feeling rather awkward. He felt the blue-eyed man scrutinising him.

"So this is Alec," the crown wearer said softly. "Strange, I thought he'd be taller."

Alec wondered if He was talking to him until the red haired man beside Him replied.

"He is short for his age but it may have been useful when she was trying to shooting him."

Alec felt slightly offended. They were discussing how short he was while he was right in front of them! Didn't they have any manners? The nerve of some people.

"If she was actually trying to shoot him, she would have earlier on. She was clearly playing with him."

"That is highly probable but we cannot discount the fact that he had the advantage of distance or her naturally serious nature. She doesn't mess around. It is not in her nature."

"Of course we can! Just shut up Jack and listen to Queenie."

Okay, now Alec was really confused. Not only did the leader of Wonderland have no manners but he also called himself "Queenie" and referred to himself in the third person. Great. Just great. This was doing wonders for Alec's sanity.

Alec looked toward the man who hasn't spoken yet with uncertainty in his eyes. He had no idea what he was supposed to being saying or doing. Should he just stay quiet and inconspicuous? He really didn't know.

The man, who was watching the exchange between Queenie and Jack, looked over at Alec and smiled. He motioned for Alec to stay silent and to wait until the two had finished.

Queenie and Jack bickered for five more minutes before becoming suddenly subdued. They stared at Alec. Alec stared back.

"I'll call a meeting," Queenie said "The head of each suit will be here in the next ten minutes or else."

"Of course," replied Jack and the other man simultaneously "We will in form them immediately."

They both got to their feet and headed down the stage and disappeared through doors on either side. Queenie started singing a little tune under his breath. He looked at Alec, mildly surprised.

"Are you still here?" He asked incredulously "Go on, shoo!"

Alec scampered back to the corridor from which he came. Marchair was waiting for him there. He smiled and put a hand on Alec's shoulder.

"Look, they're holding a meeting about you and I have to attend," he said, "Just, stay here until I come back. I won't be ten minutes."

Alec nodded reluctantly and watched Marchair head down the hallway until he was out of sight. He was all alone in a place he didn't know.

'Well,' he thought to himself. 'Isn't this just perfect. I'm by myself in a gang hideout where no one knows me. Great.'

Deciding that being sarcastic wasn't going to change the situation, he turned his mind on other things. Like his family and friends. He hadn't seen anyone he actually knew for about twenty hours. They must be worried about him. His mother, he knew, would be going mental. Or maybe she wouldn't. Maybe they thought that he had slept over at his friend's house last night. Alec felt horror wash over him. What if they didn't realise that he was gone? What if he was stuck with these mad people? Alec tried to calm down, he was sure the police would find him.

'Wait a second,' he thought 'I'm in the secret hideaway of an infamous gang. The police will never find me.'

**Well, uh, yeah. Sorry for the late update, I'm a very lazy person :3**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the short chapter and long delay. I've been having really bad writer's block**.**

**Welcome To Wonderland**

Chapter Five

Ten minutes later found Alec standing in front of Queenie again. The meeting had only lasted around seven minutes and thankfully that didn't give Alec much time to spiral into a state of panic and hyperventilation.

"Well," said Queenie, picking dirt out from underneath his nails. "You will stay here and-"

"But," Alec was glared at for his interruption. "But I want to go home!"

"Well, too bad. You're staying here. One of Marchair's boys will take care of you. Now shoo!"

Alec was about to turn and leave the Throne Room but stopped when Jack coughed meaningfully into his hand.

"Perhaps now you should name him?" Jack suggested. Alec was confused. He had a name and he didn't need another one. The one he had was perfectly fine thank you very much.

"What? That's boring!" said Queenie dramatically, tossing his hands in the air. "I'm bored. Let's do something else!"

"I must insist on you naming him." Jack was clearly not taking no for an answer.

Queenie sighed exaggeratedly as if the mere thought of it pained him. "Em, er, Alice. There, that's his name now."

Alec looked at Queenie in astonishment. He was clearly a boy! Why would he give him a girl's name? That just wasn't on.

"I don't believe it appropriate to name the boy that, not only is it highly effeminate but it's also the incorrect female variation of his name."

Jack was suddenly Alec's favourite person in the world.

"I. Don't. Care." Queenie punctuated every word with a bang of his fist on the arm of his chair. "Just be quiet and find something that Queenie will like. Oh! Maybe Knave! He stole some things that were mine recently."

"Of course," Jack gave up and decided that pleasing Queenie would be a much better alternative. "I will locate him immediately."

Alec watched as Jack got up, bowed and then walked swiftly towards wherever this 'Knave' character was. Alec would really hate to be Knave. Anyone who was on the bad side of the head of Wonderland was either very unlucky or incredibly stupid. Or both.

Realising that Queenie had lost all interest in him, he left quietly and walked over to where Marchair was waiting for him. Queenie had said something about one of Marchair's men taking care of him. What did that imply? Were they to show him around or get him ready for some kind of initiation ceremony or what? He had honestly no idea how gangs worked. All the reports on the news made them seem violent, dangerous, organised and a mess all at the same time.

He followed Marchair as he made his way through the gang hideout. The previously deserted hallways were becoming more and more populated and soon Alec had to elbow his way through the crowds to keep up with his guide.

He kept seeing nonsensical notices saying things like "Ignore this sign" and "Do not feed the elephant." He stopped every once in a while to read the posters and quite a few made him quite puzzled.

He turned away from the notices and made to continue following Marchair but saw him no where in sight. Alec berated himself for his stupidity.

"Really Alec, well done," he thought sarcastically to himself "Of course you can just stop and read something in a crowded corridor and not loose sight of the person leading the way."

He really was hopeless. He got shot _by a girl_, intimidated by someone drinking tea from a china cup, failed at making omelettes, ignored by someone who spoke about himself in the third person and got lost in a gang hideout.

On top of that, he was more than a little homesick.


End file.
